Utility executive’s remarks raise questions about need for pipeline

PIPELINES: Opponents of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline say leaked remarks by a Dominion Energy executive underscore that there’s not enough demand for new gas-fired power plants in Virginia or North Carolina to justify the project. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

CLIMATE:
• Energy projects around the country, including the Sabal Trail Pipeline in the South, are being slowed in federal courts as the Trump administration continues to resist considering the projects’ climate impacts. (Los Angeles Times)
• A nationwide interfaith group now has a chapter in North Carolina that is helping build a faith-based movement to address climate change. (Coastal Review Online)
• National and local energy experts will discuss next week economic and environmental impacts of climate change in North Carolina at a free conference that is open to the public. (Coastal Review Online)

UTILITIES:
• Twenty-eight utilities, including many in the Southeast, have committed to the RESTORE program, which is designed to strengthen the power grid through their collaborative efforts. (Utility Dive)
• Kentucky’s attorney general is recommending that Kentucky Power’s proposed 16-percent rate increase be denied. (Lex 18)

SOLAR:
• The U.S. trade commission heard testimony Tuesday from politicians, embassy representatives, solar installers and industry analysts on its highly contested decision that cheap solar imports harmed Georgia-based Suniva and another manufacturer. (Utility Dive)
• Meanwhile, the trade dispute over solar imports has stalled clean-energy projects across the United States, as utilities and businesses hold off on buying solar power. (Bloomberg)

COAL ASH: Environmental advocates say they plan to sue Duke for alleged coal ash pollution from one of the utilities’ plants in North Carolina. (Winston Salem-Journal)

POLLUTION: A series of coal gas explosions at a chemical plant in Tennessee on Wednesday forced people to evacuate the area, but no injuries have been reported. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Appalachia can thrive without coal through government and technology jobs. (EcoWatch)
• As climate change brings more and more extreme rainfall to the Gulf Coast, Louisiana needs to take measures to protect itself and preserve its coastline. (VICE)
• Carbon capture is a tough sell in today’s environment, especially following Mississippi’s Kemper plant failure, but many still believe there is a viable market for it. (Forbes)
• Florida’s preparation for Hurricane Irma and other storms address symptoms, not causes, says a professor and author on climate change. (USA Today)
• The owner of a Kentucky ethanol plant says EPA administrator Scott Pruitt should support the Renewable Fuel Standard, like President Trump does. (The Hill)